Can't Say Goodbye
by Osparrow
Summary: Sequal to Obsessions. All he wanted was to be a hero. He was on in HIS eyes, and here's his story how. Rating for a character death.


Begun: March 23, 2007

At 3:52.12 PM

Typed: March 21, 2008

At 11:31 AM

A/N: TUCKER RETURNED! Or at least, the plot bunny shaped like him did… so here. I'm going to try to write Danny's speech before I forget what Tucker told me. EEP!

A/N2: Uh… there's going to be an extra long A/N at the end of this. Explaining a few things… including why it took me almost a year to type this out. DX Be prepared for it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Danny Phantom. The all powerful Butch Hartman does.

_He is somewhere near_

_He is somewhere better_

_He wanted nothing_

_His life was all he needed_

**I could have saved him**

**I should have been there**

**It should be me in that casket**

**It's my fault…**

**I should have been there**

**I COULD have SAVED him**

I knew my speech was next, before Sam nudged me gently. Sam squeezed my hand tightly as I stood up, giving a weak smile meant to encourage me. It only made my knees shake more violently.

"This is my best friend." I began slowly. "Don't be expecting anything short and sweet." I glared at the popular section of Casper High. The whole freshman class showed up, minus two kids. '_I could have saved them too._' I bit my lip looking back down. "Tucker Foley, often known as Techno Geek to many at Casper High, and during the fun filled week in October, 'Bad Luck Tuck'." There were a few snickers in the CH section. "But that memory isn't why I'm here. I'm here because Tucker was there when I needed him. He saved some of you. He unknowingly saved me. Unfortunately, he couldn't save himself in time. He cared more than he acted sometimes. For those parents who don't realize his sacrifice, I'll elaborate. It was a Wednesday morning. The day started out like most Wednesdays do. A drag. Nothing exciting happening. But lunch came. Tucker, Sam and I went to eat outside, like we normally do. But this was different. Tucker had finished before Sam and me. He said he needed to talk to a teacher, and went inside. Sam and I stayed outside, to finish our lunches.

"Unbeknownst to us, flames were rising from the roof of Casper High… where he was heading. However, Tucker smelled the smoke from inside the building. He pulled the fire alarm. He knew what to do in a fire. He screamed for everyone to evacuate. He made sure everyone was outside. Sam and I searched the entire grounds, but could not find him anywhere. Suddenly, a figure came running for… the… for the… door-" I trailed off, making eye contact with Sam. Sam's head was down, and she was trembling. She looked up, her glassy lavender eyes meeting mine… and I sniffed slightly. She attempted another encouraging smile, but there was nothing there. She shook her head and wiped her mascara, and I looked down again. "A figure came running for the door – but tripped suddenly when running. Kwan and Mikey ran to go help him. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was Tucker who tripped. I tried to help him when I realized who it was, but something held me back. It was Tucker. 

He looked right at me. He shook his head and mouthed _no_ at me. A split-second later, _it_ happened. The roof had become so unstable, the beams collapsed. The roof came with it. The walls fell forward as the entire building collapsed – crushing Tucker, Mikey, and Kwan – still burning. Tucker was prepared to sacrifice his life to save the student body. Tucker was a hero. He wanted nothing more in his life than to play a hero at some point in time. He did, at a larger cost than anyone can ever imagine.

"Tucker is my best friend. He just moved to a better place. It is one where I cannot follow. One I can only dream of seeing one day.

"Tucker was a hero in more ways than what I explained. Tucker helped people. He cheered them up when they were sad. He knew how to react in dangerous situations. But most of all, he did it through friendship. Which is why Sam and I wrote this. As our final goodbye – because goodbye doesn't feel like enough. Because goodbyes are sometimes overrated. We wanted something more. This is for Tucker:

_For a friend_

_Who means more to me_

_Than any novel_

_Or any poem can describe._

_For a friend_

_Who suffered through_

_All jokes handed to you_

_And every problem_

_In front of you._

_Only technology can recover_

_From your infinite clatter_

_Your knowledge exceeding_

_Its limited boundaries._

_Only, we are not technology_

_We feel the pain_

_We will remember_

_You're boundless skills._

_Living on with a smile_

_Your life a great story_

_Not a care in the world_

_But friends and technology_

_Like a storybook ending_

_You always loved_

_You're life had meaning_

_But the ending was wrong_

_Endings come along in every life_

_Like a bell about to ring_

_It's unexpected sometimes_

_Unexpected and unannounced_

_Every time we were together_

_You had something new_

_Be it a new PDA,_

_Or a new way of life_

_You're time wasn't yet_

_You had yet to live_

_Your life gone in a flash_

_You're the brother I never had._

_You always were ready_

_To face a challenge_

_Never to back down_

_Your life wasn't over – yet._"

I grabbed another sheet of paper from my pocket. "Tucker wrote this. I found it in his room a month ago. He wrote it a year ago for a project. I feel this described him better than anyone in here can. Put into words, it's a short poem – his poem – describing himself the way he wanted to be seen." I laid the sheet of paper, preparing to read – but noticed a tear fall on the page. I swallowed hard as a hand clasped my arm.

"Let me. Let me help." Sam had come up behind me. I nodded looking at the paper. She grabbed it from me.

(Sam is **bolded**, Danny is _italicized_)

**Life is a precarious thing**

**I learned my lessons well**

**Live how you want to be seen**

**Not only to be viewed**

_I live for more  
Than I could ask for_

_But I know what I want_

_What I want to be known for._

**I want to be a hero**

**Not a comic book figure**

**Someone who puts his life on the line**

**Asking nothing in return**

_I don't want to be invincible_

_I don't want to be anything more_

_Life won't allow me_

_Life is all I want._

**I want technology to help**

**Not hurt**

**I want technology to save lives**

**To do our bidding**

**Without a doubt.**

_**I want to be somewhere near**_

_**To hear the call**_

_**I want to help them**_

_**Without a tall**_

_**Reputation to live up to.**_

**I want to be somewhere near**

**Somewhere better**

**I want nothing more**

**My life is all I need."**

"His life was all he needed. He did help us. He's somewhere near. I know he's somewhere better." I sniff and grab Sam's hand, and we return to our seats, leaving my last line off. Goodbyes are overrated. Especially when you're telling them to the ghost in the back of the room. The ghost who only Sam and I noticed. The ghost whose PDA still worked in the Ghost Zone. The ghost who was crying. Goodbyes just don't reach that altitude. But Sam and I still whisper it to the silent room.

_**Goodbye Tucker, dear friend**_

_**Visit us often – **_

_**When you get the chance.**_"

A/N: Done. But Tucker doesn't seem happy. He wants reviews.

OKAY! So explanations:

"_**Why didn't Danny just go ghost and pull the three from the burning roof?"**_

Two reasons. First, although Danny seems to be good with split second decisions, his friend was the one in danger. He was somewhat terror stricken. And who thinks very clearly when they're terrified for your friend. Second, the roof was still BURNING. ;; I know this probably has a horrid explanation, well, I always figured that Danny's ghost mode is really cold (and many other fanfic writers on here do as well…), and so my thought here was: Ever put an ice cube in a fire? It wouldn't have been pretty if Danny did it.

(Seriously? I actually didn't think about it until just now. DX)

"_WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!"_

Ummm…. Lemme see. I had a HUGE project due when this was originally written. And I didn't know if I had to put it up on a website that checked for plagiarism, and both of the poems in here ended up being in the project. DX So I couldn't update it. Then my school decided that they were going to go crazy on us. I didn't have any time until now to update it. Also, I lost the rough draft, and it just turned up TODAY. As in, 3/21 today. DX It was missing for a year almost. Sorry everyone!!

"_What was the inspiration behind this one? This couldn't have been randomly written!"_

You're right. I didn't just randomly write this. Another reason I didn't want to update this right away is the fact that on my OGT I had to write about a "normal day that suddenly turned abnormal." And, 

well, this story just wrote itself. It's kind of weird. But even though this story was about a David, Saundra, and Tucker, well, I didn't want people to go, OH! I've seen this story somewhere else, and fail the test that allows me to graduate. And I don't know where the fire came from. It was rainy outside. DX So yeah.

Yeah, so this was written during a poetry project. So I got a great grade on it, but I had to put this story away, and lost it. But it's here now for you!!

Luv ya all!

Sparrow

Finished: March 23, 2007

At 6:25.34 PM

Typed: March 21, 2008

At 1:26 PM


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